Improved ditching-machine



`.a'rnNfr OFFICE.

nnuaire. INGRAHML or TnoUMsnH, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVED DlTCH'lNGfMACHlNE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,028, dated October23, 1866.

To all whom fit may concern:

.letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure lis a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 .is a plan ot' thecarriage and section of elevating-wheel A. Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof the plows and their attachments. Fig. 4 is a view of a portion of theelevatingwheel A, and of the scoop or chute F, showing its relationthereto.

Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

The novelty of lny invention consists, tirst, in the arrangement ot' adouble-mold-board plow and two single-mold-board plows, by means ofwhich the earth is broken up from the line of the ditch, and thrown upona beltwhich passes over a pulley lying between the sides of thedouble-mold-board plow and around the elevating-wheel A 5 second, in themethod of elevating the dirt thrown up by the plows-13. e., by means ofa belt, Q, and an elevating-wheel, A-the dirt being confined to theperimeter of the wheel as it revolves by the belt Q and the projectingflanges aa ot' the wheel; third, in the form and arrangement of aplow-shaped scoop or chute, F, over which the dirt is forced from thetop of the wheel by the action of the wheel A and belt Q, and falls tothe side of the line ot' the ditch.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation The carriage (whichconsists ot' the rectangular frame C, longitudinal bars D D', the wheelsB B, and their axles) is attached to the tongue E by means of the boltSt. The object of the carriage is to facilitate transportation and theraising of the plows and elevatingwheel for the purpose of turningaround, passing over an obstruction, Ste.

llhe axle of the elevating-wheel A has its' bearings in a frame whichmay be made ot' iron, V V, (tinted with blue in Fi g.2,) the sides ofwhich, c c, are brought toward each other in front ot' the wheel A, andare fastened rigidly to the sides of the tongue E.

The wheel A has two projecting ilanges from the rim, (marked a a', Fig.2,) which, with the rim, form a rectangular channel about the wheel.

G G are sides ot a bifurcated frame, to which the plows H J J areattached. The bars G G of the frame are curved upward, and have holes attheir upper extremities, through which passes the 'axle of the wheel A.Thus the bifurcated frame, the plows, and their attachments are pivotedon the axle of the wheel A. H is a double'mold-board plow, havingvertical parallel sides, between which is a pulley, I. In rear of theplow H, attached by standards from the sides G G of the frame, are twosinglemold-boards-a right and a left oneso shaped and situated as tothrow the earth turned up by the plow H back in the rear of said plowupon a belt, Q, which passes around the pulley I in the plow H and theelevating-wheel A, also over a tightening-pulley,X, which has itsbearings in the elastic bar Y.

From the upper edges of the sides G G of the plow-frame are raised twocurved segments, M N, the center of their curve being in the axis of thewheel A. A part ot the outer edge of segment M is serrated, and aspring-pawl on the frame V meshes between the teeth, supporting theplow-frame and its attachments. The pawl may be thrown out from theteeth by pressing the lever H toward the tongue.

The segment N is bent laterally toward the segment M and fastenedthereto. That part of the segment N- which is above the bend forms asupport for the chute F. The near' flange of wheel A (see Fig. 4) isrepresented as broken away, in order to revealthe form of the scoop orchute F.

The slot in the chute is for the free passage of the near iiange, asrepresented. That part of the chute beyond the slot is between theflanges a a of the wheel A, andi'the edge thereof lies close to the rimot the wheel and the .fart-her flange.

S is a cogged segment, which may be attached to or t'orm a part ot'segment M. R is a bent lever, pivoted at the angle, having a spur orcog, which meshes into the cogs of segment S. From its Alower extremitya rod deseends to one end of a bent lever, K, which lies along the sideof the plow-frame G, conforming in shape thereto, having a wheel, L,

Vat the other end, and having for its fulcrum a edge, into which a pawlon the carriage-frame O catches. l

The drivel-s seat Z is supported by suitable braces from the iron frameV V.

The longitudinal bar D is curved downward, so as not to interfere withthe chute F.

There maybe small spurs c 0 c on the flanges a a of the elevating-wheelA to prevent its slipping. O is a curved lever, the edge of which nearthe end of the shorter arm is bent over toward the segment U, and iiledso as to t between the teeth thereof. Its fulcrum P is fastened to thebar D of the carriage.

The operation of this machine is as follows: The pawl that meshes intothe teeth of the segment Ubein g thrown out of mesh,the wheel A willrest upon the ground. The Ahorses are attached to the tongue E, and theoperator takes the seat Z, presses his foot against the lever H, whichthrows ont the pawl from the teeth of the segment M, which allows theplows to descend until they reach the ground, adjusts the wheel K bymeans of the bent lever R, so that the plows will eut a suitable furrow,and then drives along the line of the ditch. The furrows thrown from thedouble-moldboard plow H are thrown back upon the belt Q, which lies inthe furrow made by the plow H, and into the rectangular channel of thewheel A, where it is confined by thebelt Q as the wheel revolves, thetightening-pulley X keeping the belt taut. The earth passes over thechute F and falls to the side of the line of the ditch.

1f the operator wishes to run the plow out of the ground, he will drawthe lever R toward him, and by drawing the segment S toward him he willraise the plows entirely from the ground, and by working the lever O hemay raise the elevating-wheel A. Thus the machine may be made veryportable, being supported by the carriage-wheels B B. As the machinetakes but a light furrow, it is necessarywto pass over the line of theditch repeatedly until the ditch is sunk to the rerequired depth.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The double-mold-board plow H, single mold-boards J J, and chute F,when attached and pivoted by suitable frame-work on the axle of theelevating-wheel A, substantially as and for the purpose herein setforth.

2. The wheel A, provided with the flanges a and a', in combination withthe endless belt Q, tightening-pulley X, and pulley I, when arranged tooperate substantially as and for the purpose herein setv forth.

HENRY C. INGRAHAM.

Witnesses:

WM. VAN CAMP, T. T. KNEELAND.

